Back and to the right?

[Joe Elliott]

But isn't that what we see in the Zapruder film, a violent head snap backwards?

No. That is not what we see. This is a falsehood that has become established ‘FACT’ by repeated claims, repeated lies, that JFK’s head was driven backwards with great violence. Such is the power of the repetitive lie. Yes, there was great violence, in the explosion of the head. But not in its movement.

Physics graduate student William Hoffman did the best study of the movement of JFK’s head back in the 1960’s. This study is found in Josiah Thompson’s “Six Seconds in Dallas” (it was more like 8.8 seconds).

Let’s define JFK’s head position at z312 to be ‘0’. A positive number indicates a more forward position.

Z312    position     0.0
                                            Moves forward 2.3 inches, average speed, 2.4 mph forward
Z313   position + 2.3
                                            Moves backward 0.6 inches, average speed, 0.6 mph backward
Z314   position + 1.7
                                            Moves backward 0.9 inches, average speed, 0.9 mph backward
Z315   position + 0.8
                                            Moves backward 1.2 inches, average speed, 1.2 mph backward
Z316   position - 0.4
                                            Moves backward 1.4 inches, average speed, 1.5 mph backward
Z317   position - 1.8
                                            Moves backward 1.8 inches, average speed, 1.9 mph backward
Z318   position - 3.6
                                            Moves backward 1.3 inches, average speed, 1.4 mph backward
Z319   position - 4.9

Even a casual look at the Zapruder frames 313 through 319 will confirm that JFK’s head only moves backwards about 7.2 inches, with an average speed of 1.2 mph.

By a curious coincidence, with the frame rate of 18.3 frames per second, a movement of “x” inches indicates an average speed of roughly “x” mph.

William Hoffman pointed out that first the head moved backwards, then the torso started moving backwards a little later.

Let me break in hear and explain what a neurological spasm is. It is a spurious signal that travels down the spinal column. It first effects the neck muscles, then the torso muscles, and continues down the body. It activates all the muscles of the body momentarily. Since the back muscles are stronger than the front muscles, it would tend to move the head and torso backwards, first the head, then the torso.

So, what was the most “violent” motion? The fastest motion, and not that violent, is 2.4 mph, when JF’s head moves FOREWARD, as if hit from behind. From experiments with goats being shot through the brain, body movement will start in 40 milliseconds, which will be starting in the very next frame. If 2.4 mph is violent motion than I tend to walk at a violent speed.

Thereafter, the head starts to move backwards, much more gradually, not violently. First at 0.6 mph backward, then 0.9 mph, then 1.2 mph, when the head finally reaches it’s z312 position.

Then 1.5 mph, 1.9 mph and 1.4 mph, when the head and body is slowed by the seat.

This is consistent of a series of bullets striking from the front, one bullet with each frame. Which by coincidence struck immediately after the shot from the back, perfectly mimicking a neurological spasm.

Or it is simply a neurological spasm, where all muscles are momentarily activated by a spurious signal. The signal starts at the top of the spinal column. It first reaches the neck muscles, which is why only the head is first affected. A little later it reaches the torso, which is why the torso did not start to move immediately, only the head. This explains which the acceleration is gradual and not all at once, as would happen with a bullet from behind.

[Gerry Down]

This is consistent of a series of bullets striking from the front, one bullet with each frame. Which by coincidence struck immediately after the shot from the back, perfectly mimicking a neurological spasm.

Or it is simply a neurological spasm, where all muscles are momentarily activated by a spurious signal. The signal starts at the top of the spinal column. It first reaches the neck muscles, which is why only the head is first affected. A little later it reaches the torso, which is why the torso did not start to move immediately, only the head. This explains which the acceleration is gradual and not all at once, as would happen with a bullet from behind.

Are you saying that you believe JFK was shot from the front?

[Joe Elliott]

In propaganda, the ‘Labels’ one use has a powerful effect. The “Magic Bullet Theory”. The “Violent motion” of JFK’s head. Choice and establish the right labels and you have won half the battle.

If you can establish, in people’s minds, the motion was “Violent”, maybe not possible by JFK, maybe not possible for an Olympic athletic, then what else could cause this motion but the powerful effects of a bullet?

But if the motion is actually much slower, much more ordinary, then maybe something more ordinary could account for this motion, like the muscles of JFK’s body.

[Joe Elliott]

Are you saying that you believe JFK was shot from the front?

No. Shot from the back. As evident by the initial j-e-r-k forward of the head.

Note, I spell ‘j-e-r-k’ as ‘j-e-r-k’ because in the past, posts with this word without the dashes were automatically considered insults and deleted.

The immediate backwards movement is most likely a neurological spam.

[Gerry Down]

I'm starting to think JFKs head just went limp after being shot in the back of the head and the forward movement of the limo caused JFKs limp head to fall back, just like his body goes back too shortly thereafter.

[Joe Elliott]

I'm starting to think JFKs head just went limp after being shot in the back of the head and the forward movement of the limo caused JFKs limp head to fall back, just like his body goes back too shortly thereafter.

Yes, but the limousine was moving at a pretty steady speed of 8 mph, with only a little acceleration, a fraction of the acceleration that we see in JFK’s head, mild as it was. The movement (from Physics) inside a vehicle moving at a constant speed are the same as if the vehicle was stationary, relative to the vehicle.

[Walt Cakebread]

Yes Gerry, you have made a good point. Basically, an argument that can be used against a Pro LN scenario cannot be used against a Pro CT scenario. In that case, it is to be dropped like a red hot stove.

A Pro CT argument is that a body will always move away from the gun. This is a false argument. The muscles of the victim may move the body, even in the case of a bullet through the brain, as can be shown by film of goats being shot through the brain. But cannot be shown by film of people being shot through the brain because these experiments are not allowed.

So, a Pro CT argument is that “Back and to the Left” movement of JFK’s head (I think it’s more of a Backward movement, with a falling to the left side) proves there was not shot from Oswald’s position then, but instead a shot from the right front.

But a back of the right part of the head exit wound indicates a shooter to the front and left. But the principle of “a victim is always driven away from the shooter” and the claim “JFK head was driven back and to the left” would preclude such a shooter. The fallacy in your thinking, from a CT point of view, is using arguments that can be used to discard a Pro-LN scenario to discard a Pro-CT scenario. That is a clear misuse of these techniques.

Martin Weidmann pretended to not understand what you were driving at so he danced around your question.

A Pro CT argument is that a body will always move away from the gun. This is a false argument. The muscles of the victim may move the body, even in the case of a bullet through the brain,

This factual information..... The head of a victim will move in the direction the projectile is traveling.....

[Gerry Down]

Yes, but the limousine was moving at a pretty steady speed of 8 mph, with only a little acceleration, a fraction of the acceleration that we see in JFK’s head, mild as it was. The movement (from Physics) inside a vehicle moving at a constant speed are the same as if the vehicle was stationary, relative to the vehicle.

Or is it? The limo was open to the air. This is not like being inside an airplane travelling at 500 miles an hour. JFKs head was open to the air.